Molly Albrecht and Alyssa Rudman still argue about it. Neither likes to be wrong, but more importantly, neither likes to lose.

You’ll get a different story from each. Four months ago, they were roommates while attending their first Junior National tournament in Orlando, Fla., together.

One of them hogged the covers in the hotel room. Each claims it was the other one.

“I felt bad for the other two girls in there,” Rudman said, “because then they’d have to hear us complain about the other person.”

As different as they are – and as different as they look – the two acknowledge that they often act and compete like sisters.

It’s a love-hate relationship the 15-year-old Aquahawk teammates have shared since becoming competitive swimmers in the last four years.

“It’s still fun,” Albrecht said. “We’re friends because we can fight with each other.”

The friendly rivalry has intensified as the two have excelled in the backstroke together.

Alyssa Rudman, left, and Molly Albrecht cheer for an Aquahawk teammate during her turn. Rudman and Albrecht, sophomores at Lawrence High and Free State, respectively, formed a competitive friendship through swimming together and against each other, and competed together Sunday for the Lawrence Aquahawks during the Aquahawk Invitational at the Indoor Aquatic Center at Free State High School.

Though their times are nearly identical, both have completely different techniques. Aquahawks’ coach Mike Soderling compares the shorter Albrecht to a waterbug, saying she uses quick strokes and a motor that never stops. Meanwhile, he says the taller Rudman maneuvers through the water more like a yacht, taking long and efficient strokes to keep a constant pace.

Because of these tendencies, Albrecht’s best event is the 200 backstroke, while Rudman excels in the 100-meter event.

“Normally at the beginning of the race, she’ll be ahead, and then I’ll catch up at the end,” Albrecht said. “Or it will make me mad because I can’t stay out with her at the beginning.”

That was just the case in the open finals of the 200 backstroke at the Roger Hill Invitational Sunday. At the 100-meter mark, Rudman held a slight advantage, but Albrecht closed the gap in the final half of the race to take the title with a time of 2:26.94.

Rudman was third in 2:32.94.

“They go back and forth every meet,” Soderling said. “One will be faster one meet, and the other will be faster the next meet. I think it helps that they push each other.”

The two were fine talking with each other after the event, but both admitted it wasn’t always the case.

There were times in the past – especially at larger meets – when a loss to the other would not be taken lightly.

Alyssa Rudman, left, and Molly Albrecht hang out poolside during the Aquahawk Invitational Sunday at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center. Rudman, a LHS sophomore, and Albrecht, a FSHS sophomore, formed a competitive friendship through swimming together and against each other.

“If she was beating me, I wouldn’t talk to her,” Albrecht said. “We would pretend to be nice for a few days until we cooled off.”

The two – who are both incoming sophomores – will not compete in high school swimming until their senior years. A current Kansas rule states that a swimmer cannot compete for a club and school team at the same time.

Perhaps fittingly, Rudman will swim for Lawrence High and Albrecht for Free State.

The duo has just started participating in the Aquahawks’ senior division, which is made up of athletes 15 and older.

“They’re kind of like rookies together,” Soderling said. “They’ve really gained the respect of their teammates.”

And also each other, even if they disagree over who the cover thief really is.

“I’m sure,” Soderling said, “they were both stealing sheets on an equal basis.”